Bought a 2018 model yesterday. Have been away from road riding for 15 years. Seriously, out of the loop on gear, accessories, etc. Just saw a Scorpion modular helmet for the first time and was BLOWN AWAY, so you know where I'm coming from. ;-)
Plan to ride paved country and mountain roads (90%) and gravel/fire roads (10%). Have about 6 weeks of winter left here in central Virginia. Will get the bike ready during that time. Would appreciate recommendations on accessories, including the following that I now plan to get for the bike...
Pannier Bags (locking)
Engine Guards
Skid Plate
Metal Hand Guards
Mount for iPhone (navigation aid)
All advice welcome. Also interested in which upgrades are easy DIY versus PIA (dealer install better).
Thanks!
Welcome to the forum! and congrats on the new bike. I am guessing the helmet you are talking about is the Scorpion AT950. I have that one and love it! fantastic helmet.
Pannier Bags - You have two styles, the plastic molded or the rectangular aluminum "boxes". If you plan to ride 2up, go with the plastic style, I would recommend the Shad SH36. The aluminum boxes are much better as they allow for bags to be mounted on top if you need additional space. Because of the shape of them you get more usable space and less of it winds up being wasted. I would recommend the Givi Outback Trekker, they come in two different sizes. They are not cheap! Some options from companies like Rocky Mountain ATV are the Tusk brand, they are more economical.
Engine Guards - I have the Givi and they do the job, do yourself a favor though and whatever you buy spray with spray foam insulation on the inside before you install them. This will eliminate the vibration at certain RPM's the engine guards are known to cause on the V-Strom.
Skid Plate - I'm not sure you need one for the type of riding you describe, but if you'd like one just make sure its compatible with whatever skid plate you buy. Since you have some time before riding season you could order from Alan at Ravetech. He's based out of the Philippines and has great pricing on his skid plates. Check with him first to make sure what you order will work with your engine guards though.
Metal Hand Guards - Not sure why you would want these for road riding but any of the offroad style ones will work. The size you need will depend on if you got the XT model or not. The ones on the bike though are fine for the type of riding you describe.
Phone Mount - Rick at Adventuretech designs and makes all kinds of accessories for our bike. He has a Phone/GPS mount that uses the RAM balls that goes above the dash keeping it at eye site level. I find this to be the best and safest location to mount the phone. Rick also makes a RAM mount that is built onto his mirror extenders. I'm not a big fan of this mounting location but a lot of people are. The mirror extenders, kick stand plate, peg lowering kit are must have items for me from Rick.
These are all easy DIY upgrades, the V-Strom is very easy to work on. The farkles never end for this bike, they are never ending haha. Others that you have not mentioned that I really enjoy on bike would be the Oxford Heated grips, Touratech rear shock, Stiffer fork springs (stops the nose diving so much) and Seat Concepts seat. You may or may not need a new windscreen.
I wouldn't go to crazy on upgrades before you get a chance to put some miles on the bike though. See how it fits you and what you think needs improving after you've put some miles on. Enjoy the new ride, you live in an amazing area for motorcycle roads! I've attended the Romney camp and ride event several times and spent some time exploring the area.